It’s Easter weekend, but that doesn’t affect the Premier League schedule, with games taking place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Matchday 33 signals there are only five games to play after this round of fixtures, and the picture becomes clearer with each passing game week. Liverpool continue to lead the way and look good for the title, Newcastle are flying and have made their move on the Champions League places, while Leicester City and Ipswich Town look set to join Southampton in relegation. Here’s what’s to come on Matchday 33.
Saturday, April 19
Brentford vs Brighton
Brentford vs Brighton sees 11th and 10th go head-to-head at the Gtech, and it’s a game both teams come into not in the best of form of late. The Bees, on 43 points, look out of the race for European football, but their visitors are on 48 points and 6 points adrift of 7th. If Brighton want to keep their dreams of qualifying for Europe alive, they’re going to need to win this one. And if they do, they will end any hopes Brentford had of making a late run at it. It’s all to play for in this one.
Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth
Crystal Palace’s last two results, both 5-0 reverses, have ended any hopes The Eagles had of moving into European contention. One 5-0 defeat is unexpected, but two are unfathomable. You’ll expect Oliver Glasner sees Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth as a chance for his team to redeem themselves. Bournemouth, though, will look to capitalise on their opponent’s fragility. They brought their run of bad form to an end by defeating Fulham, and a win at Selhurst Park could see them close the gap on 7th.
Everton vs Manchester City
If there’s one team that is having an impact on the Champions League places right now, it’s 13th-placed Everton. Last time out, The Toffees triumphed 1-0 against Nottingham Forest, and up next is Everton vs Manchester City. City are only a point clear of Chelsea and Aston Villa in 6th and 7th, respectively, so they need to win to stay in the top 5. Everton have proven themselves to be a team that’s typically hard to beat under David Moyes, and they will relish the opportunity to halt City in their tracks in one of their last-ever games at Goodison Park.
West Ham United vs Southampton
West Ham United vs Southampton is one of those Premier League contests where both teams have nothing to play for at this stage of the season. West Ham may be 17th, but there not in any real danger of going down, with Ipswich Town and Leicester City to join Southampton. And for Southampton, their sole aim is to pick up two points from their remaining fixtures to ensure they don’t go down in history as the worst top-flight outfit of all time. The way things are going, they could end up beating Derby County’s unfortunate record.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United is the pick of Saturday’s action and probably the weekend. Villa’s incredible run of form has seen them shoot up the table. They’re now 7th and looking upwards, with Champions League qualification in their sights. Unfortunately for The Villains, they come up against an in-form Newcastle United side. They’re 3rd and have eyes on 2nd. Both teams have something to play for at Villa Park, and a win would help greatly, whereas a defeat will be a setback at this stage of the campaign.
Sunday, April 20
Fulham vs Chelsea
There are still plenty of Premier League outfits jostling for position where European qualification is concerned. Fulham vs Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Sunday sees two of these teams go head to head. It’s a battle of the West Londoners, with the home side 9th on 48 points and their visitors 6th on 54 points. Fulham continue their run of winning a game, then losing, and then winning, and they really have to win here to keep the pressure on those above. Chelsea, meanwhile, need to win to fend off those below.
Ipswich Town vs Arsenal
It’s a matter of when Ipswich Town are relegated and not if, and hosting Arsenal at Portman Road isn’t ideal when only a miracle will do. Arsenal come into Ipswich Town vs Arsenal on the back of their Champions League triumph at the Bernabeu. Now, their attention will have turned to ensuring they finish 2nd in the Premier League, a position they’ve held for much of the season. The task at hand is being able to perform at a high enough level to win after their exploits against Real Madrid, something which has been a problem at times this term.
Manchester United vs Wolves
Who would’ve thought Manchester United vs Wolves would be 14th vs 16th in the Premier League in 2024/25? And who would’ve also thought Wolves would be coming into this game after winning four games in a row? Vitor Pereira’s side are full of confidence, and they’ll be keen to take advantage of United’s continued woes. United also played midweek, whereas Wolves have had a free week and will be ready to go. If there was ever a chance for them to make it five wins in a row, this is it.
Leicester City vs Liverpool
Leicester City are also in the position of knowing they will be relegated and it just being a matter of time. Of course, miracles do happen, but this is Leicester City vs Liverpool, and The Foxes haven’t won since January. Liverpool put their Fulham disappointment behind them to win against West Ham and have a healthy lead at the top of the table. They’re champions in waiting, and this should be a straightforward victory to edge them three points closer to their second Premier League title.
Monday, April 21
Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest
Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest is a match between a team whose season hasn’t gone to plan and a side whose season couldn’t have gone any better. While Spurs have nothing to play for but pride in the Premier League, Forest are still battling to qualify for the Champions League after being a top-four side for most of the season. Their back-to-back defeats have thrown a bit of a spanner in the works, but a positive result at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will calm the nerves ahead of the run-in.
Matchday 33 could be decisive in many ways. If Liverpool win, they’ll be one more victory away from securing the title. There are matches that will impact the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League places. And failure to win in the case of Ipswich Town and Leicester City will see them edge closer to a Championship return. Winning still matters for a lot of teams in the top flight, and there’s still an opportunity for outfits to achieve something before the season’s out, but they will have to get their skates on. Otherwise, the chance will pass them by, and they’ll have to start from scratch in 2025/26.
